Posted in Fiber, Knitting

Urban Aran Hat, Wrap Up

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My fully finished & blocked Urban Aran Hat.

I’ve been out of the loop for a while, and that’s for rather good reason. The very next time someone tells me I should use my fiber arts to set up an Etsy shop, I’m going to point them to this blog to show them why it’s a terrible idea. Health issues and home-run businesses do not tend to mix well.

 

But back to what we’re here for. As you can see, I lost my game of Yarn Chicken and had to go grab another skein that was spun single. It’s a titch thicker than the original yarn, but since it was for the crown I wasn’t too worried about it. If there’s anywhere you want to be warmer and thicker…

As you can see, the gauge held pretty close. I was chuffed.

Then came the decreases, and with them, the eventual move to double-pointed needles (DPNs). My DPNs are square, aluminum, and generally awesome. The shape makes them less tiring, and they’re nicely pointed with a lace shoulder. I know some people prefer their work on 3 needles, but I’m a 4 needle, knit with the fifth type.

Then wash in Euclan (because it’s a gift and who wants to wear something that has slid through your fingers, really?), and block to show off the cables.

Yes, I bought a head for blocking hats.
So many pins!

This is actually the second stage of blocking, I did the first flat, but I forgot to take pictures. 😦  You can see how I hold the cable in place with the pins, then open up the purl detail with pins on the border…

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All in all, I’m really happy with how the hat came out. I had fun playing with cables combined with short rows in a non-threatening project—seriously, if cables are a thing you’re scared of, this a great pattern, dropping down to fix cables here is easy—and it’s an interesting enough knit to keep you from being bored. There’s not enough moss stitch to get irritating, but you still get the cred for doing it, and it looks amazing.

Now back to the socks that have taken over my life. You should see a post tomorrow!

Urban Aran Hat, My Errata

I’m very careful about reading patterns & charts, because I’m both a process and product knitter and hooker, and I want the final product to look right. I even swatch (although I only wash swatches for sweaters—unwashed swatching is good enough for hats and shawls).

So I just spent a merry half an hour counting stitches on the left needle and consulting the chart of the hat I’m working on, and I could find no way to make it work except by starting with a purl instead of a knit in moss stitch, and this made no sense (as the previous row both started and ended on the correct stitch, and there were the correct number of stitches from the stitch marker).

I decide to start with a purl, pick up my circs, and see I’d already done the first knit stitch. To lock in that stitch marker, as you do.

:facepalm:

 

Posted in Knitting, Uncategorized

Urban Aran Hat, Variegated

Hand holding open a partially finished hat, still on circular needles, knitted in variegated yarn. There is a cable on the right side, ribbing on the majority of the bottom, and moss stitch to the left.

I’ve been working on this for a bit over a month, but in my defense I started in a larger size on bigger needles, and not only did it not match gauge, but halfway through the pattern I could tell I was going to be playing yarn chicken at the end—and losing.

The pattern is the delightful Urban Aran Hat by Robbie Laughlin. It’s half-chart, half-written, and for the most part pretty clear. (If you’re new to charts, or even if you aren’t—this is charted like free lace. It confused me until someone pointed that out, and then it was clear sailing.)

I’m only on row 15 of this go-round, 5 rounds past the ribbing and well into the moss stitch. I just shifted the cable over for the first time. (You may have noticed I bracketed the cable section in very plain stitch markers. I have some brain damage, and it’s easier to block those off so I don’t ever mess up the count. That set will always be the cable stitch row. If you have trouble with this for any reason, feel no shame and mark it off!) That means less moss stitch, not that it’s too wearing knitting continental (although I worry about losing track).

Expect updates!